Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) elections have become a battle between the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress with Union Minister of State Jyotiraditya Scindia and state industries and IT minister Kailash Vijaywargiya pitted against each other for the president`s post.

Scindia defeated Vijaywargiya during the last elections by a margin of 70 votes.

A local MLA from Indore, Vijaywargiya started taking keen interest in "politics of cricket" after he got elected as the president of the Indore Division Cricket Association.

However, the Scindia camp suffered a blow recently when the Assistant Registrar of the Firms and Societies cancelled the MPCA membership of his 20 loyalists, as rules were allegedly not followed during their induction, sources said.

Among the 20, MPCA president Jyotiraditya Scindia and former India player Narendra Hirwani also lost their memberships.

Scindia alleged that since the registrar was serving under Vijaywargiya`s ministry, he had acted against them in a "partisan manner", the sources said.

They were thus debarred from voting in the MPCA elections. However, Scindia is eligible to contest and vote in the polls in his capacity as representative of the Scindia School, Gwalior (institutional membership), sources in the cricket body said.

The Scindia camp also approached the High Court bench at Indore against the assistant registrar`s decision and the matter is pending before it.

The bench will hear the matter today and is likely to give its decision on the row. Its outcome may affect the poll process, scheduled for August 26, sources said.

A total of 238 voters are expected to exercise their right to franchise in the MPCA elections for 17 posts, including nine office bearers and eight managing committee members.

Taking the polls seriously, Scindia arrived in Indore last night and started campaigning vigorously.

Both Vijaywargiya and Scindia, who came here earlier also a couple of times, were meeting voters personally by visiting their houses, sources said.

Meanwhile, a group of cricketers including former India players Narendra Hirwani and Amay Khuraisa, and BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale have appealed to the voters to "let cricket remain a gentleman`s game".